Derbyshire set to receive £4m boost in battle against anti-social behaviour – as reports rise across county

Derbyshire will benefit to the tune of £4.4m over the next two years as part of a national action plan to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB). A hard-line approach will see those committing ASB forced to repair the damage they inflict on victims and communities with 48 hours of the offence.

Derbyshire is one of just four police areas to receive extra funding for both ‘hot spot' police and enforcement patrols, alongside a new ‘immediate justice' scheme designed to deliver swift and visible punishments. Another 12 areas have been earmarked for one of these initiatives.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) will receive £1.2m for each of the next two years to invest in anti-social behaviour hotspot policing – strengthening enforcement work undertaken by the Derbyshire Constabulary and its partners.

In addition, an extra £1m for each of the next two years will be provided for the commissioning of reparative services to ensure anti-social behaviour perpetrators undertake practical, reparative activity to compensate for the loss or damage sustained by victims.

Reparative activities could include litter-picking in public parks and high streets, cleaning of civic memorials, cleaning of graffiti and basic repairs of damaged property. This could be arranged alongside diversionary and restorative activities, particularly for young people.

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The OPCC will now be working with partners to design a Derbyshire-specific approach to delivering the Action Plan.

The Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan is designed to ensure ASB is treated with the urgency it deserves. It will establish a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of anti-social behaviour and give the police and local authorities the tools they need to tackle the problem.

The welcome funding boost, which will help to tackle one of the public's key concerns, comes as the latest data (from the Crime Survey for England and Wales) revealed anti-social behaviour had reduced by a further seven per cent across Derbyshire in the 12 months to the end of September 2022.